Videos sent through WhatsApp now soon be better than they are now.
WhatsApp was recently spotted to be working on a way that allows users to send high-quality videos to other users through the app.
The feature is rolling out to beta testers as of press time, but it is unclear when it is coming to WhatsApp's mobile apps.
WhatsApp High-Quality Videos Details
WhatsApp, like many other secure messaging apps, allows its users to chat and send various media files ranging from photos to audio and video files to each other through it. While the feature alone is convenient for recreational purposes, the same cannot be said when important files that shouldn't appear blurry are being sent through the app.
According to Free Video Workshop, WhatsApp compresses the videos sent through it, causing them to lose quality when they're uploaded. WhatsApp compresses video files to ensure they take less time and bandwidth to get them uploaded to its servers; the video's recipients will also get the compressed (but lower quality) video when they download it from the app.
While there are workarounds to have WhatsApp upload high-quality videos to its servers, WhatsApp might be doing something that cuts the middle man out of the equation. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is working on a feature that allows the app to send high-quality videos to its server, allowing its recipients to download videos with better quality than before.
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The screenshot the publication took showed that WhatsApp would add an option whenever users upload a video file that allows them to choose between sending standard-quality videos or HD-quality videos. As previously mentioned, the standard quality uses less storage space and is faster to send due to WhatsApp compressing it; the HD quality looks clearer but uses more storage and bandwidth to upload and download.
This feature allegedly maintains the video's dimensions, though it does use light compression to relieve the burden of uploading and downloading it without sacrificing video quality. As such, users still can't share videos in their original quality, but this feature's addition makes the final product as close to it as possible.
Users should keep in mind that they should upload high-quality videos from the get-go to get the HD quality option to appear; not doing so might not make the options show up as intended.
Other Upcoming WhatsApp Features
As the option to upload HD-quality videos on WhatsApp is still being tested by beta testers, it is unclear when it will come to the secure messaging app. However, WhatsApp is working on other features that further improve user experience.
For example, the Meta-owned company is working on adding the ability to pin and unpin a message automatically after a set period has passed. It is also having its Advanced Proxy Configuration Settings tested by beta testers to improve the app's proxy server toggle, along with in-app chat support for its Windows Desktop app, allowing users to reach WhatsApp support directly when issues with the Desktop app occur.
Related Article: WhatsApp Officially Drops Electron-Based Windows Desktop App
